What this teaches
Durkin founded 99dresses at 18, got into YC, lost her co-founders, and watched committed funding fall through at the worst moment, killing the company. An emotionally raw account of a collapsed round, visa pressure, and winding down.
Availability note: the original source was not reachable at our last check. It may have moved or require an archive service to read.
Why it matters
The definitive account of what a round falling through actually does to a company and a founder.
Key lessons
- Committed money is not closed money; rounds collapse at the wire
- Co-founder departures poison fundraising processes
- Immigrant founders carry visa risk that compounds fundraising risk
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